The Chakra Elementals: Genin Years
by Tsubaki800
Summary: Our hero's Sisca, Kizuato, Ryno, Bradford and Jean-Luke are back…but this story will be focusing on the newest character on the scene. Join Akemi as she meets new people, gains enemies, and finds herself in need of friends. But who will be willing enough to be her friend? OC pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**Here you go guys, the third instalment…**

Chapter 1

Author POV

Six years had passed since Naruto and his friends had started their training as the Chakra Elementals. Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, Kiba and Akamaru and Shikamaru had since then graduated from the Academy, and had been placed into Genin Squads. Hinata, Kiba and Akamaru had been placed in a squad together with Shino Aburame, and got Kurenai Yuhi as their sensei. Shikamaru had been placed with Ino Yamanaka and Choji Akimichi, along with their sensei Asuma Sarutobi. Naruto and Sasuke were placed together with Sakura Haruno, and got Kakashi Hatake, whom Naruto already knew due to the fact that Kakashi was his father's student. None of their squads knew of their Elemental powers, since they wished to keep it a secret for as long as possible. However, the Rookie 9 were often seen training together along with their sensei's, though on some days, there were ten of them, but more on that later…

Ryno was sometimes seen helping Kiba's sister, Hana, with her animal patients. Bradford had taken a teaching course, and would soon start as a sensei in the Academy. Jean-Luke had taken permanent residence in the Leaf, and could often times be seen helping around with small tasks in the village, or enjoying a big bowl of Ichiraku Ramen along with Naruto.

Sisca had taken to being a house wife, but helped around the village as much as she could, most of the time ending up in the Leaf Hospital, thanks to her healing skills. Kizuato had proven himself many times in the ANBU, and had gained respect from most of the villagers. Oh, hang on, I seem to have forgotten someone…ah yes, now we come to the main character of this story.

Akemi had turned six recently, and had started at the Academy. She had the Water affinity, like her mother, and upon realising this, Sisca began teaching her healing techniques. Having grown up knowing Naruto and the others, she had been friends with them, though she thought of Hinata as an older sister more than a friend. During the time that both of her parents were busy, she would sit and watch the Rookie 9 training, thinking about how her team would be like when she graduated. The sensei's soon took notice of her, and offered to let her train with the Rookie 9. During these training session, she gained more and more knowledge of being a ninja.

From Shino she received a wide intellect on bugs, for which she was a bit fickle at first, but soon grew a liking to them. She often helped Shino collect bugs when she could. Kiba and Akamaru had granted her a love for animals, which could clearly be seen when she was with them. She was also seen helping Hinata with some cooking when she went to visit Hanabi, whom she had made friends with through Hinata. Kurenai, seeing a small spark of talent, taught her a few genjutsus that were easier to do.

From Choji, she gained a…you geussed it…love for chips. Often could she be seen buying chips with him at the store, but what stunned everyone, including Choji's father, is that he had offered his last chip to Akemi after she had finished her own before him. Of course, that has only happened once. Ino had shown her expertise in flower arranging, and had explained to Akemi in full detail what each flower meant. Asuma had taught her how to play shogi, and he had often let her beat him, though she always giggled at his frustration when he was playing against Shikamaru, whom she would go cloud watching with him if she had the time.

Sakura had helped her perfect her chakra control, a skill she couldn't wait to show the kids in her class. Sasuke taught her a few fighting techniques, while Naruto treated her to a bowl of Ramen after every training session. Kakashi hadn't done much, but seeing that she had a slight Lightning affinity like her father, had promised to show her how to do the Chidori when she was old enough.

Of course, the Rookie 9 weren't the only ones she trained with…

Akemi POV

"YIKES!" I shouted as four kunai whizzed over my head, only to be followed by two blasts of air. As I dodge, the last kick comes into landing, sending me off balance.

**'I swear these guys are trying to kill me.'** I thought to myself as Neji, Tenten and Lee come into view, poised for attack, only to be stopped by Guy sensei.

"Well done Akemi. You're becoming more skilled everyday." He compliments me, giving his well-known nice guy pose. I slowly slump against the tree behind me, breathing hard.

"If I had known your students were trying to break every bone in my body, I never would have agreed to training with you guys." I gasp. Lee looks at me funny.

"Akemi, have you forgotten our saying?" How could I forget, that's what got me here in the first place.

_Flashback_

I was walking home from another boring day of watching the others train with their sensei's.

**'Once I turn six I won't have to watch them anymore.'** That's when I heard panting in the arena that I was passing. I slowly poked my head past the pole, making sure to stay behind it so whoever was there wouldn't see me. A guy with shiny black hair wearing green spandex and orange leg warmers was standing in front of three kids. I instantly recognized Neji, Hinata and Hanabi's cousin from the Branch Family. A girl his age was on his left. She had brown hair tied in two buns, and she was wearing a pink short-sleeved shirt with red on the edges of the sleeves, as well as dark blue shinobi style pants, and shinobi sandals. Another boy was on Neji's right side. His hair was almost as black as the adult's, and he was wearing a similar green spandex and orange leg warmers. It took me a few seconds to realise the panting was coming from them.

"You're tired already? And you call yourselves shinobi?" The older guy asked, looking slightly disappointed. The other boy looked up, making a fist and thrusting it forwards.

"No! We are not done yet. We shall continue training, to become stronger than we were yesterday!" At this, Neji lifted his head and did the same movement.

"Stronger than yesterday!" The girl does the same.

"Stronger than we were yesterday!" Then the three of them shout together.

"Stronger than we were yesterday!" The older guy, whom I assume is their sensei, smiles.

"That's what I want to hear." He says, before stiffening and turning to look in my direction. On impulse I hide behind the pole.

"Who's there?" He asks, and I slowly move out of hiding. Neji, who has seen me a few times before recognizes me.

"Akemi?" He states more than asks. The girl seems surprised.

"You know her?" She asks. Neji nods.

"She's a friend of my cousin's." He answers, as their sensei keeps his attention on me.

"What were you doing back there?" He asks me. I start to fiddle with my hair.

"I…I over heard you guys and…well…" I answer unsure of what to say. "That…that thing you guys just said, what does it mean?" The other boy steps forward.

"It is what keeps us going, our motive, to become stronger with every passing day." He answers, full of pride. Their sensei seems to study me intently.

"What's your name again?" He asks.

"Akemi." I answer back, unsure of what he's getting at.

"Hmm, you look like a youthful young lady, what do you say about training along with me and my team?" He says, striking a pose, Neji and the girl look at him in disbelief, while the boy smiles. At first I'm speechless. I'm not even an academy student yet, and he's offering me to train with a genin team?!

"I…I'd love to." I say, earning a thumbs up from the adult and the other boy, and a smile from Neji and the girl. "Though, I don't know your names yet." The sensei looks almost shocked.

"You're looking at the Leaf's Noble Beast, Might Guy." He says, doing the same pose as before. The other boy steps forward.

"And do not forget the Leaf's Handsome Devil, Rock Lee." He introduces himself, striking the same pose as Guy. The girl comes forward.

"My names Tenten." She says, smiling at me.

_End of Flashback_

I sigh.

"Stronger than we were yesterday, I know." I say, looking down at the ground. Tenten realises what's going on.

"The teasing again?" She says, and the boys expressions soften. My grip on the kunai tightens.

"It's the same story, over and over again."

**'Except it was worse today.'** I look up at the orange sky, realising what the time is. "I should be going home now." I say, standing up and dusting myself off. As I leave I wave back at them. "See you tomorrow!"

"Bye Akemi." I hear Tenten shout before I'm out of earshot. I quickly run through the streets to reach my house. I slowly open the door. Once I do, the smell of something cooking hits my face.

"Mom, I'm home." I say, knowing my mom's in the kitchen. I walk over to the kitchen, stopping to check that my hair is covering the bruise on my shoulder. I enter the kitchen to find my mom setting out plates at the table.

"Hello, Akemi. How was school?" I knew she was gonna ask that question.

"It was OK. Is dad home yet?" I ask, trying to change the subject quickly. Mom looks up and stares at me.

"No, not yet." She says, her eyes staring daggers at the lock of hair covering the bruise.

"Ok, I'm gonna go shower." I say, turning to head to the bathroom.

"Akemi." My mom's stern voice stops me. I stand still, hearing her footsteps as she walks towards me. Soon she's crouched in front of me, her hand slowly brushing away the hair hiding the bruise. I close my eyes and hiss slightly in pain as she touches it. I hear her sigh.

"Did they tease you again?" She asks me, and I feel the tears start to sting behind my eyes.

"Why can't I have normal coloured eyes like everyone else?" I say, looking up at her, not caring for the tears streaming down my face. "It's not fair." I feel my mom pull me into a hug and I sink into her arms, sobbing. We stay like that for a few minutes before she picks me up and places me on a chair. Then she walks over to the cupboard and gets a bowl out, and starts to fill it with water.

"Mom, it doesn't hurt that much." I answer, but she ignores me, placing her hand in the bowl. When she brings her hand back up the water sits around it like a bubble. She slowly places it on my bruise, at which I cringe in pain. After a few moments, she takes her hand away, the bruise no longer there. I sigh with relief.

"Akemi…" I look up at my mom's face, gentle and kind. She reaches out and wipes my tears away. "What do you have of your father?" This was a game we played when I was sad.

"His hair and his strong will." I answer, as always.

"And what do you have of me?" She asks again.

"Your face and kind heart." I answer again.

"And what do you have of us both?" She asks, one last time.

"Both of your eyes." I say, looking down at the ground. Mom lifts my face back up.

"Your eyes are what make you special, and if that's not good enough for all those stuck up kids, then that's their problem." I smile at her, and hug her.

"Thanks Mom." I say, before I hear the door open.

"Now that smells good." I hear his voice.

"Dad!" I shout, jumping down from the chair and running to meet him. I nearly knock him over with my hug.

"Haha, hey Little Nightingale." He greets, using my nickname. Mom soon follows me, helping dad up again and giving him a kiss.

"Come on, dinner's ready." She says, leading us to the table.

**And there's the first chapter.**

**I'm not too sure about the title yet, so leave some ideas in your reviews, if you have any.**

**Please Review ^^**

**Till Next Time, Ciao!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to the following reviewers:**

**Arcami**

**Someone told me that too many OC could be a problem, and I'm sorry about that, I'm not sure what you guys expect. However, Naruto and the others will make their appearance often, like now actually…**

Chapter 2

Naruto POV

"SAY WHAT?! You mean Akemi's been training with you guys even before she started training with us?!" I shout, pointing at Bushy Brows sensei and his team. They had shown up only a few minutes ago, looking for Akemi, and that's when we found out she was training with them. "Speaking of which where is she?"

"That's what they're asking you idiot." I hear Shikamaru say behind me.

"Taking a girl who isn't even an Academy student into your training is quite risky Guy." I hear Kakashi sensei speak, so I turn to see that the sensei's are all talking to each other.

"That may be, but Akemi is very skilled, she has the talent of becoming a very youthful shinobi." Bushy Brow sensei answers. Kurenai sensei smiles.

"I can't agree with you more." Asuma sensei chuckles. Kakashi sensei sighs.

"Of course, we can't train her if she's not here." He says, before turning to us. "Any idea where she might be?" Most of us shake our heads. Suddenly Akamaru barks.

"Oh, here she comes." Says Kiba and we all turn to look at her, running towards us.

"Hey, Akemi." I shout, waving at her.

"Something wrong Kakashi?" I hear Kurenai sensei ask. Akemi reaches us, a bit short of breath.

"Sorry I'm late, got a bit…um, held up." She say, before staring at Bushy Brows team. "Hey, what are you guys doing here?"

"We were looking for you Akemi." Tenten answers, and Akemi starts rubbing her arm like she always does when she's nervous.

**'She's not doing it out of nervousness, kiddo.'** My great-times-something grandfather Haruto says in my head, and I have to stop myself from jumping out of my skin at his sudden voicing.

**'How many times have I told you not to do that? It scares the heck out of me!'** I shout mentally at him.

**'I know, that's why I do it.'** He says, chuckling, then he stops. **'But Akemi isn't rubbing her arm out of nervousness. Look closely.'**

I do as he says, and see a faint blueish colour underneath her hand. **'Is that a…'**

**'Yep.'** He sighs. **'Afraid so.'**

"Sorry Tenten, I got caught up back at the Academy and…" I don't let her finish.

"Caught up by what?" I ask, feeling anger seeping through my usually goofy demeanour, threatening to allow the fox's chakra to seep through (Just to make it clear, Minato told Naruto about the Nine-Tails two years ago, in this fanfic).

**'Woah, take it easy there, kiddo.'** I hear Haruto trying to calm me down. **'Though, you're not the only one that's angry.'**

I glance to my right, and see that Kiba, Shikamaru, Sasuke and Hinata have the same angry looks on their faces, though like me, their ancestors are trying to keep them calm.

"Um, nothing…just a crowd of parents…" She tries to cover her bruise again, but Kiba doesn't allow her.

"More like a crowd of bullies!" He shouts, yanking her arm, revealing the big blue bruise on her arm. Make that three bruises. I hear Ino, Sakura, Tenten and Kurenai sensei gasp, while the rest of the guys have looks of disbelief on their faces.

"You said they were teasing you…" I hear Tenten whisper, but Neji cuts her off.

"Akemi, how long has this been going on?" He asks. I see Hinata make a move as to summon some water out of her water bottle to heal Akemi, but stops herself quickly. Darn it's so hard to keep our powers hidden. Kurenai sensei comes forward and inspects Akemi's arm.

"Um, two weeks…" She mumbles. Kurenai sensei looks up sharply.

"Have you told your parents about this?" Akemi looks down at the ground.

"My mom knows they're teasing me, but my dad has no idea. Mom always heals me before he gets home." She answers. Shikamaru seems to be getting as mad as me.

"Who did that to you?" He asks. She looks up reluctantly.

"Three kids in my class. Gengo Kobayashi, Daigo Yamaguchi and Maki Tanaka." She says, before rapidly adding. "Please don't tell anyone I told you, and don't try to confront them. It'll only make things worse." My fists clench in rage.

"When were you planing on telling us?" Kakashi sensei asks, but Akemi doesn't answer. I see Ino move her hands, realising that she just read Akemi's mind.

"Let's leave this for now, we'll talk about it later." She says, making Akemi smile at her. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Then I remember something.

"Hey, aren't you getting your report card tomorrow?" I ask, putting on my normally goofy smile. The others understand what I'm trying to do and go with it.

"Oh yeah, that's right." Says Choji, while offering Akemi a bite of his chips, which she gladly accepts. "How do you think you'll do?" She smiles.

"I'm not really sure, but today they asked about the Shinobi Rules, and I got all of them right." Sakura giggles.

"I got the same results when I was your age." Of course, that just sets the trigger for Ino.

"You didn't get everything right Billboard Brow!" Sakura glares back at Ino.

"Oh yeah, well neither did you, Ino-Pig!" They start to glare daggers at each other. Shikamaru sighs.

"What a drag." He says, making Akemi giggle. Shino looks at her arm.

"You should get your mother to heal those bruises for you." He says, and Akemi nods. She bows at us before leaving. After she's out of sight, Kakashi sensei turns to Guy.

"She didn't tell you guys either, I suppose." And Guy nods. Asuma sighs.

"Poor kid, I feel sorry for her." He says, making Ino and Sakura stop bickering to listen.

"Yeah, I mean, she's such a sweet kid after all." I add, and Bushy Brows nods.

"Indeed, she should not be treated like this." Ino nods.

"But we can't tell anyone, she asked us not to." Again, making most of us sigh in defeat.

"We'll just have to wait and see how this turns out." Says Kakashi sensei.

_The following day_

Akemi POV

"Allright, I'm giving you your report cards for the first semester. Be sure to get you parents to sign it." Daikoku-sensei says, as he starts handing out the report cards, before leaving the room to go get something. I hear kids laughing and grumbling as they compare their marks. Of course, no one does that with me.

"Heh, I bet that Freak Akemi got very low marks." I hear Gengo say from in front of the class room. Maki and Daigo chuckle.

"Yeah, she probably has zeros on everything." Adds Diago. Maki gives a sort of cackle.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't pass at all." She adds, glancing back at me.

I stare at the envelope in my hands, scared to open it, in case they're right. But, you never know until you try, right? I slowly open the envelope and open the report card. I freeze as I read through. I have…full marks…on everything. A proud smile creeps up my face, but my happiness is short-lived.

"Hey!" Gengo shouts as he snatches my report card. He must come up behind me while I was reading. "The Freak got full marks!" He shouts, showing my report card to the rest of the room.

"Impossible! She must have cheated, no one could get full marks just like that! Especially not the Freak!" I hear Maki scream. Now everyone in the room is glaring at me. I shrink into my seat, tears threatening to spill out of my eyes. Daigo takes my report card from Gengo's hands and looks at it.

"Huh. Well, I know just where this is going." He says, before walking to the front of the room. I watch as he holds my report card above the trashcan. Then, he starts to tear my report card in half. But he doesn't get far though. Daigo screams as a pair of scissors fly from the back of the room past his face, sticking into the wooden wall. He falls backwards, dropping my report card on the floor.

"Give that back! You don't have the right to tear someone else's report card to pieces!" A boy in the back shouts. Everyone turns to look at them. A boy with shoulder length light brown hair and blue eyes is standing next to his desk, glaring at Gengo and Maki. He's wearing a blue tee-shirt with a black jacket, and has dark grey knee-high pants on, aswell as the shinobi style black sandals. The boy next to him has his one arm back, indicating that he threw the scissors. He has long black hair that's been tied in a low ponytail, almost like Itachi's. his dark brown eyes are focused on Daigo. He's wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with a black waistcoat over it. The waist coat's color come up hiding his neck from behind. He also wears black knee-length pants with standard shinobi style sandals.

When he reaches the front of the class, he goes straight for the pair of scissors. Daigo scurries backwards away from him, but the boy doesn't take notice. Instead, he turns to walk back to his desk, but stops as he picks up my report card. As he walks back up he stops next to my desk.

"Here." He says, placing my report card next to me, before sitting down in his seat just as Daikoku sensei walks into the class.

_After School_

I stand outside the gate, waiting for them. I didn't have the chance to say thank you yet, and I don't know if I'll have the courage to do it in the next semester, so I'll have to do it now. I spot them walking past me and run to catch up with them.

"Hey!" I shout, making them turn. I go into shy phase again, and start to fiddle with my hair. "Um, I just wanted to thank you guys. For earlier." I say, giving them a small smile. The boy with the black hair returns it, while the brown-haired boy beams at me.

"No problem." Then he stares at me. "But why do they bully you anyway?" He asks, and I look at the ground.

"Because of my eye colour." I admit, not daring to meet their eyes.

"Well, I think your eyes are beautiful." I look up, startled at the comment. The boy with the black hair is smiling at me, while the brown-haired boy nods like crazy. I give a small smile.

"Thanks, no one but my parents have ever said that to me." Then an idea pops into my head. "Hey, have you guys ever been to Ichiraku Ramen? I have some pocket-money with me." The black-haired boy gives a small smile while the brown-haired one beams again.

"Who hasn't been there?" He laughs, the he looks at me. "Your name's Akemi, right?" I nod.

"I'm Tomoaki Yoshida. This is Akihito Takahashi." He says, pointing at himself first and then at the other boy.

"Nice to meet you." I smile.

"Come, let's get to Ichiraku." He says, before stopping and turning back to me. "So this makes us friends then?"

I freeze. The word came out of his mouth so easily. No one in my class has ever called me that before. I nod slowly.

"Yeah, I guess it does." I answer, earning a smile from them both.

"Let's go!" Tomoaki shout, running ahead of us. I look at Akihito shyly.

"Did you really mean it?" He looks at me funny. "About my eyes being beautiful?"

"Why would I be lying?" He answers, smiling back, sending butterflies in my stomach.

"Come on you slow pokes!" Shouts Tomoaki.

"Alright, alright, we're coming." Akihito shouts back, as we run to catch up to him.

**And there we go…**

**Please Review ^^**

**Till Next Time, Ciao!**


	3. Chapter 3

**OMG, I'm so sorry for taking so long to update! See, I missed the Wave Arc episodes completely, so I had to do research (Not the Jiraiya-kind) and read the manga online, but with so much school work that made it nearly impossible.**

**Anyhoo, now that I have finally gotten something on paper I can continue…**

Chapter 3

Minato POV

I go over the C-Rank mission one more time, trying to decide who to send. Naruto has been nagging me to give his team something with 'more action', so I might give this to Kakashi's team. I place the document in front of me when there is a knock at the door.

"Come in." I call, and Sisca opens the door.

"Minato. You wished to see me?" She greets as she closes the door behind her.

"Yes, I was hoping you would be willing to go on a mission with Naruto's team." I explain.

"Well, Kizuato doesn't have any upcoming missions, so Akemi shouldn't be a problem." She replies, before giving me a questioning look. "Is there a reason why you want me specifically?" She queries, I look out the window to the village below as I answer.

"As you know, none of the Rookie Nine, or their sensei's, know of Shikamaru, Kiba Hinata, Sasuke or Naruto's abilities. I trust Shikamaru, Sasuke and Hinata not to show those abilities, but Kiba and especially Naruto can be rather reckless." I hear the door open and close, and realise Kushina just came back from her meeting with Mikoto. I stand and walk over to the window, my back facing them. "I wanted to send you, since I don't think Jean-Luke would do the job properly." I hear both giggle, and smile at the thought myself.

"I understand. May please I see the mission info?" She asks, and I turn to face them.

"It's the file on my desk." I answer, pointing at the file. Sisca takes the file and starts to read, but after a few minutes she frowns.

"Is there something wrong Sisca?" Asks Kushina as she walks over to me. At first Sisca doesn't answer, then she places the file back on the desk.

"Minato, I…" She pauses, takes a deep breath and gives me a serious look. "Minato, this isn't a simple C-Rank mission. This should be an S-Rank, A at the very least." Kushina and I stare at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"The person who's after the bridge builder, goes by the name of Gato. He's a corrupt businessman, a shipping magnate and the founder of Gato Company. He took control over the Land of Waves shipping routes a few years ago, and he currently uses them for drug dealing." Kushina gasps, proving that she is as shocked as I am.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" I ask. "If you had, we could have sent them help." To my surprise she shakes her head.

"No, this had to happen, and though you may not agree with me, Naruto has to go on this mission." Kushina's shock face turns into a glare.

"Are you insane?" She shouts, seething with anger. "My son has only just become a genin, and now you're telling us to send him on an S-Rank mission?" Sisca seems to flinch, but she doesn't back down.

"Kushina, please, he has to go." She says softly. "I don't think I have to explain." She looks down at her feet. Before Kushina can say anything more, I place my hand on her shoulder, and when she stares at me, shocked, I give her a reassuring smile. She knows what I'm thinking. This was one of the reasons why I decided to seal half of the Kyuubi in Naruto. Kushina sighs.

"Fine, but you must promise me that you'll make sure no harm comes to Naruto." She says sternly. Sisca nods, before placing her hand over her chest.

"I promise on my life, Kushina." She states.

"And I'm going to tell Kakashi everything you just told me about Gato." I add, she just smiles and bows.

"As you wish." She turns to leave, but just before she reaches the door she turns back. "Oh , there is one more thing I want to discus with you, about the mission."

I give her a questioning look.

"What about?"

_An hour later_

Naruto POV

"Alright, finally! A mission with some action! Thanks Dad!" I shout, pumping my fist in the air with excitement. Dad laughs at me.

"Well, you have nagged me to give you a 'better' mission, Now's your chance." He smiles at me before looking at Kakashi-sensei. "I'm assigning you and Sisca as team leaders." I look over at Sisca-sensei, who's standing next to Iruka-sensei, and she winks at me. "Your mission is to escort the bridge builder, Tazuna, back to the Land of Waves, then stay there as guards until the bridge is complete." He nods, dismissing us, and we turn to leave. "Oh, Kakashi, could you stay behind for a moment? It's about the mission." I look back just as Kakashi-sensei closes the door.

_Later_

_At the training field_

"No way! You guys get a C-Rank mission while the rest of us are stuck on D! That's so unfair!" Ino shouts as we sit in the training field, while our sensei's minus Kakashi-sensei who is still talking to my dad, stand next to us. Our Elemental-sensei's are there too.

"Maybe they're just lucky." Says Choji, while munching on some chips.

"Maybe he nagged his dad too much." I hear Shino mutter, and I shoot him a glance. Kiba looks at us.

"Where are you guys going again?" He asks, just as Kakashi-sensei arrives. I smile proudly.

"The Land of Waves." I answer. Bradford-sensei seems shocked and turns sharply to Sisca-sensei.

"Fryd? Pid dryd'c Gato danneduno!" (What? But that's Gato territory!) We all stare at him, trying to figure out what the hell he's saying, and get another huge shock when Sisca-sensei replies in the same weird language.

"E ghuf. Pid E rywa du ku uh drec secceuh." (I know. But I have to go on this mission.) I look over at the others, but they seem as confused as I am, even Shino. I decide to ask somewhere else.

**'Do you have any clue what they're saying?'** I ask Haruto.

**'Don't look at me kid. I only speak Japanese!'** He responds, so I go back to their conversation.

"Oui luimt kad gemmat uh drec secceuh!" (You could get killed on this mission!) He shouts, seemingly angry.

"E fuimt nydran necg so meva dryh mad Naruto yht Sasuke necgehk draenc! Pacetac, E bnusecat Kushina dryd E't gaad Naruto uid uv rynsc fyo!" (I would rather risk my life than let Naruto and Sasuke risk theirs! Besides, I promised Kushina that I'd keep Naruto out of harms way!) I look over at Sasuke, wondering if they're talking about the two of us and my mom or if our names just happen to be words in whatever language their speaking. Only now do I realise that Jean-Luke and Ryno don't seem to be bothered by their language switch at all.

"Pid oui…" (But you…) He starts again.

"Bradford!" Sisca-sensei cuts him off. "E's kuehk uh drec secceuh, yht E's kuhhy lusa ymewa. Cu cdub ynkiehk." (I'm going on this mission, and I'm gonna come back alive. So stop arguing.) Bradford-sensei sighs in defeat.

"E cdemm drehg oui'na hidc." (I still think you're nuts.) He then suddenly becomes aware of us staring and turns to face us. "Fro yna oui kioc cdynehk yd ic mega dryd?" (Why are you guys staring at us like that?) that's when Jean-Luke-sensei steps forward.

"Um, Bradford, you're speaking Al bed again." He states, and Bradford-sensei facepalms.

"Why do I always do that?" He mutters to himself as Asuma-sensei turns to Ryno.

"What's Al bed?" He asks.

"It's a language from a video-game in our hometown. Sisca and Bradford can speak it fluently." Ryno-sensei explains. "Bradford tends to speak like that when he gets angry." Kizuato-sensei nods.

"And most of the time he forgets that he's speaking it." Bradford-sensei rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Kiba smiles.

"I think that language is pretty cool." I agree with him.

"Yeah, could you teach it to us? It could be like our secret code." I ask, and Sisca-sensei smiles.

"Maybe, but after this mission, ok?" That's when Kakashi-sensei steps forward.

"Speaking of which, I think Team 7 should go home and get some rest, not to mention pack for tommorow's mission." He says, but when I turn to look at him, he's looking at Sisca-sensei. "We have a long day ahead of us."

_Later that evening_

Sisca POV

I pack the last of my ninja weapons in my backpack, before zipping it up. I reach for my twin katana, and strap them securely to the back. I take the pack and put it down near a chair in the room, and I'm just about to go to the bathroom when a photo frame catches my eye.

I smile as I take the photo frame, holding it to the light so I can see the photo. The photo was taken when Akemi was but a few months old. Kizuato and I are standing on a hill, with the Leaf Village and the Hokage monument in the background. In my arms is a sleeping Akemi. I smile again.

"Mom?" I hear a voice behind me, and turn to see Akemi in her pajamas, with the teddy-bear that Kizuato gave her for her third birthday in her arms. She stopped sleeping with it when she turned six, saying that she was a big girl, but she still holds it close when she's scared.

"Akemi? What are you doing out of bed?" I ask, placing the photo frame back on the cabinet. Akemi looks down at her feet.

"Dad says you're going on a mission tomorrow." She whispers, and I give her a small smile.

"Oh, Akemi…" I start, then walk over to her, picking her up in my arms. She rests her head against my shoulder. "Come on, let's tuck you in again." I carry her back to her room, placing her gently on the bed. After putting the blankets back over her, I sit next to her, stroking her hair.

"What if…what if you don't come back?" She whispers after a few minutes. I give her a smile.

"Oh, my brave Little Nightingale." I whisper back, reassuringly. "I'll be here. I'll always be here." Akemi looks up at me for a second, then looks away. I watch her, trying to think of ways to help her feel better, then it strikes me.

**"A naoidhean bhig, cluinn mo ghuth****  
Mise ri d' thaobh, O mhaighdean bhàn  
Ar rìbhinn òg, fàs a's faic  
Do thìr, dìleas féin  
A ghrian a's a ghealach, stiùir sinn  
Gu uair ar cliù 's ar glòir  
Naoidhean bhig, ar rìbhinn òg  
Maighdean uasal bhàn**

Akemi looks up at me, then smiles, closing her eyes and relaxing.

**"A naoidhean bhig, cluinn mo ghuth****  
Mise ri d' thaobh, O mhaighdean bhàn  
Ar rìbhinn òg, fàs a's faic  
Do thìr, dìleas féin  
A ghrian a's a ghealach, stiùir sinn  
Gu uair ar cliù 's ar glòir  
Naoidhean bhig, ar rìbhinn òg  
Maighdean uasal bhàn"**

I lean forward to give her a kiss on the fore head.

"Goodnight." I whisper, standing and walking to the door.

"Goodnight Mom." I hear her whisper back as I close the door. I smile as I tip-toe back to my room, only to bump into Kizuato.

"You really do have a beautiful voice." He says, making me giggle before he kisses me. "And that's just one of the reasons why I fell in love with you." I look up at him, smiling shyly.

"Oh, and what are the other reasons?" I ask, wrapping my arms around his neck. He smiles at me after wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Too many to count." He kisses me again, before looking at me with worry. "Promise me you'll be careful on this mission. You know perfectly well what Zabuza and Haku are capable of." I caress his cheek, giving him a reassuring smile.

"I can take care of myself, Kizuato, you know that." When his still seems unconvinced, I give him a hug. I feel his arms tighten around my waist even more. "I'll be fine Kizuato, don't worry." He chuckles.

"You know I can't promise to do that." He says, before puling away and leading me to the bed. "Come on, you'll need your strength if you're gonna handle Naruto." I giggle again, and soon we fall asleep.

**Again so sorry for the long wait.**

**A friend at school told me it would be cool if Sisca and Bradford spoke Al bed, the language from Final Fantasy. They spent the entire afternoon translating English into Al bed, so how could I say no.**

**The song is A Noble Maiden Fair from the Disney movie Brave.**

**Please Review ^^**

**Till Next Time, Ciao!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to the following reviewers:**

**Arcami**

**Sorry this took a while again, I had to watch the episode this chapter is about, and there's been a lot going on at school. **

**So here you go…**

Chapter 4

Sisca POV

I reach the gates at the same time as Sasuke. I greet Izumo and Kotetsu with a smile, to which they wave back. Soon after Naruto arrives does Tazuna appear, half drunk with a bottle in his hand.

"These guys are gonna be protecting me?" He asks, and since I have a slight idea what he's gonna say next, I reach out to grab Naruto's collar if the need should arise, and a second later I'm glad I did. "Is the short kid with the weird face even a ninja?" Naruto laughs, as I expected.

"Haha, Who's the short kid with the weird…" He doesn't finish when he realises Tazuna means him. I quickly grasp at his collar before he does any damage. "I'm gonna kill you!"

"Naruto, he's the man we're supposed to protect. What's the point in killing him?" I hear Sakura stifle a giggle while Sasuke smirks. Soon after Kakashi arrives.

"Hello everyone. Sorry I'm late. I got lost on the road of life." There's his lame excuse again.

"Are you kidding me?!" Shouts Sakura. "What kind of an excuse is…"

"Give it up, Sakura." I silence her, making her turn around.

"But, Sisca, he…" She starts, but I silence her with a pat on the shoulder, after making sure that Naruto was calm enough to be left alone.

"You should know by now that Kakashi is never on time. It's part of his personality." I tell her before smiling and winking at her. "Though I'll try my best to make him punctual on this mission." I assure her, to which she smiles back. Tazuna, in the mean time, decided to find his voice again.

"Hey, am I supposed to trust my life to this runt, he's a joke." He states, pointing at Naruto. Kakashi does that eye-smile of his.

"He's been put with me and Sisca, and we're Jounin and Chunin. So you don't have to worry." I look over at Naruto, knowing that he'll respond in less than five seconds.

"Hey, never insult a ninja, it's a big mistake! And I'm one of the greatest ninja ever!" he shouts, pointing an accusing finger at Tazuna. "Not only am I the son of the Fourth Hokage, but I'm gonna be Hokage myself one day. My name is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. Remember it!" He concludes. I smile at his full name, knowing that my friends and I were the ones that made it possible, but when a silence follows I look at Tazuna, wondering why he hasn't responded yet, when I notice that disbelieving look on his face.

"Eh…you're telling me…that this kid is the son of the Fourth Hokage?" He asks, and I smile.

"Let's just say he has his mother's personality." I answer before turning to the others. "So, are we good to go?" Everyone nods, and start walking, but I hang back, stealing a quick glance at the spot where the two Mist ninja are hiding before I follow the others.

_Later_

"Say, Mister Tazuna…" Sakura starts, as she did in the manga.

"What is it?" Comes his stubborn reply.

"You're country is the Land of Waves, right?" She persists.

"Yeah, what of it?" He answers, making me roll my eyes at the irony of it all.

"Kakashi-sensei, there are ninja in that country too, aren't there?" I stay quiet as I listen to the conversation behind me.

"No, there are no ninja in the Land of Waves, but in other countries, there are Hidden Villages." He begins to explain, as the map from the anime pops up in my head. "Each with their own different customs and cultures. We're ninja resigned. To the people of this continent, the existence of shinobi villages means strength, military strength." Know his speech off by heart, I decide to have some fun.

"In other words, that's how they protect themselves, and maintain the balance of power with neighbouring countries. The ninja villages aren't controlled by any government. Their independent and have equal status." I allow Kakashi to take over again.

"Now a small island, like the Land of Waves, has natural protection from the sea. So there's no need for a ninja village. The five ancient lands that possess shinobi villages, are the Lands of Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind and Earth. They each occupy vast territories. Together, they're known as the Five Great Shinobi Nations. The Land of Fire has the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The Land of Water, the Village Hidden in the Mist. The Land of Lightning, the Village Hidden in the Clouds. The Land of Earth, the Village Hidden in the Stones. And the Land of Wind, the Villages Hidden in the Sand." I take over again.

"Only the Leaders of these Hidden Villages are permitted the name Kage, which means Shadow. Hokage, Mizukage, Raikage, Kazekage, Tsuchikage. These are the Leaders, the five shadows that reign over thousands of shinobi." I finish, holding back a giggle as I suddenly see an image in my head about me, Kizuato, Bradford, Ryno and Jean-Luke as the Five Kages, each being the Kage of their respective element.

"Wow, then Naruto's dad is really important." I hear Sakura say.

"Well, duh, why do you think everyone treats him like he's a king?" I chuckle slightly at Naruto's response, before hearing him grunt as Sakura must have hit him over the head.

"Anyway, there are no ninja battles in a C-Ranked mission, so…you can relax." I find there's a slight hesitation before that last part, and I know he's looking at me.

"And we're not gonna run into any foreign enemy ninja or anything like that?" Sakura asks.

"Hahaha, Not likely." Kakashi answers, lying through his teeth for my sake.

Soon after that we reach the clearing and I instantly spot the puddle. I slow my pace until I'm at the back of the group and stop, pretending to tighten my shoe, while at the same time making myself an easy target. I know this is the kind of stuff Kizuato warned me not to do, but what choice do I have? The shifting of fabric and metal brings me to full attention.

Moving swiftly I swipe my arm, sending multiple kunai and shuriken their way. What I didn't expect was for the one to slash his nails across my shoulder.

"Argh!" I gasp in pain, sinking to me knees holding my shoulder. I look up and realise that I wasn't their target.

"Now it's your turn." Says one of the thugs from behind Naruto, thankfully Sasuke reacts. Just as in the manga, he first sends a shuriken flying into the chain, then a kunai to stop them from getting loose.

"Damn, I can't get loose." Says the one as Sasuke lands on the metal hands. Trying to help him out, I use my good arm to freeze the chain, making it weaker, thus it breaks more quickly when Sasuke kicks them in the face. They quickly find their footing again and acquire new targets. But instead of one of them going for Naruto while the other goes for Tazuna, like in the manga, one of them heads straight for me.

"How are you going to defend yourself now?" He asks, his metal arm poised to slash me. A kunai suddenly lands between him and me, and I notice a tag on the kunai before a flash of orange appears in front of me.

"Air Strike: Flying Eagle." I hear before Naruto kicks the thugs straight back to Kakashi, who has already taken down the other thug.

"Good job, you lot. I'm impressed. especially by you, Naruto. I hadn't realised that Minato sensei taught you the Flying Thunder God technique, but you seem to have perfected it." Says Kakashi, before looking at me with concern. "Will you be ok?" I nod.

"Yes, I can heal myself quite well." When he looks away I tug at Naruto's arm, signalling him to lean closer. "Thanks for the save, but try to keep your use of Elemental jutsus to a minimum. We can't blow your cover due to negligence." I whisper to him sternly. He nods, looking a bit let down. I smile at him. "Good job with the Flying Thunder God though." He looks up and chuckles.

_Later_

"They're chunin from the Hidden Mist. Their specialty is relentless attacks. They keep fighting no matter what the cost." Kakashi fills the others in after we've tied the ninja to a tree. Before they can ask their dumb question I answer.

"Using a puddle as a disguise when it hasn't rained in weeks is quite stupid." Tazuna looks at me.

"Then why didn't you take them out quick?" He asks.

"I could have done that, yes, but then I wouldn't have learnt anything." Kakashi answers. "I had to know who their targets was, and what they were after." Tazuna seems worried now.

"What are you getting at?" He asks.

"This. I wanted to know if they were after us, ninja attacking ninja, or you, the master bridge-builder. When you sent in a mission request you asked for standard protection against thugs and pilgrims. You didn't say there would be any ninja involved. If you had, we would have staffed accordingly, making this a B-Ranked mission. I can understand that you had your reasons, but lying to us isn't acceptable. This mission is now above our standards." Kakashi finishes.

"We're Genin, this is to advanced for our level of training." Sakura tells him, before looking over at me while I'm healing my arm. "And we really should turn back and get Sisca to the hospital. There we'll be able to treat her wound properly."

"I'll be fine." I assure them, after I finished healing my arm. "What you should be focused on is finishing this mission." They all seem shocked, but I continue. "I know this mission is turning out to be a bit out of your league, but that doesn't mean you can back out every time a mission gets too tough. Sometimes there will be situations like these where you have no choice but to go forward. Just remember, with the right team on your side, nothing can stop you." I finish, hoping that my words have sunk in.

"Well, I'm not gonna back out. Believe it!" Says Naruto, as I'd hoped. Sasuke smirks.

"I'm certainly not gonna let the dobe take all the credit." Sakura seems unsure, but after Kakashi places a gentle hand on her shoulder, she smiles determinedly.

"If you guys are going, then I'm going too." I smile, before turning to Tazuna.

"So which way is the Land of Waves again?" He stares at me for a few more seconds, before turning and taking us further. I follow with an afterthought, knowing that Gato is out there now meeting with Zabuza.

**'I hope I know what I'm doing.'** I think, as I almost hear Zabuza's words.

_Elsewhere_

Author POV

(At the same time as Sisca's thoughts)

"I'm Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Hidden Mist." Zabuza states holding the tip of his sword to Gato's neck.

**And there you are. Again sorry for the wait.**

**Please Review ^^**

**Till Next Time, Ciao!**


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